Bulb supporting and sealing device



Oct. 29,1940.

R. N. FALGE El AL 2,219,770v

BULB SUPPORTING AND SEALING DEVICE Filed Feb. 13, 1939' 3nventors YZbek f 72. 7445/57 9191mm 0, 2225M Patented Oct. 29, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE I 2,2193% BULB SUPPORTING AND SEALING ppvlon Robert N. Falge and Howard C. Mead, Anderson,

Ind., assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application February 13, 1939, Serial No. 256,044

10 The flange is provided with bayonet slots which;

are adapted to be fitted over .pins yieldingly mounted in the apex of the reflector. and serving to hold the bulb in the reflector.

15 for sealing this and similar sorts of connections between the bulb and the reflector or other sup-, port. To accomplish this a resilientgasket, preferably of sponge rubber, 1 vprovided for sealing engagement, with the base nd with the parts in which the'pins are mounted. The-construction has proven in practice to bevery' effective as well as simple and cheap. s-

Figure 1 is a section through the improved bulb mounting. Y r

Figure 2 is a rear. view oi'the portion oi thereflector in which the bulb is mounted.

Figure3 is a perspective view of th e contact carrier and its associated parts; Figure 4isaplanview oithe gasket.

l8 indicates a portion of a bulb support here represen ed as a part of an automobile headlamp reflector. The reflector'is provided with a depressed -cup -shaped seating portion-l2 apertured at it to receivethe base ifiof the bulb I8. Ex-

tending from aperture il are the slots 20. To-

the bulb base it is'secured'as b soldering the.

"annular radial flange 22 provided with the usual bayonet slots 58.. In the manufacture of the bulb this flange is secured-in place in accurate flxed 4 relation with respect to the filament 24 so that when the flange is properly seated on the bottom of the cup I! oi'the reflectorjor other support,

the filament will be in its proper locationwith i u respect to the focus of the reflector.

- 5 i8 indicates a cup-shaped contact carrier within which isslidably secured the insulated ;disc 38 having a tongue 32 guided in slot 84 in the a contact carrier to prevent rotation. Discjfl carnee contact as secured towire 3a. coil spr asurrounding the tyn yieldinglyurgesthe contact toward the open end 0! the cup 28.

' "Cup 28 has a'flangefl apertured as at N re-- 3' ceive the usual headedf-pih's 48 which eatend aligned apertures 45" ingasket 4;. On

the nds or each-of the pins u mibviueu use is secured inpredeter- The presents invention has-to 'do with a simple arrangement "then permitting them to move outwardly into the a washer 5b of greater diameter than the userture inthe gasket. Coil springs 52 bearingatone end against the flange l2 andat the other end against the cups ill'yieldingly urge the cups The assembly of contact carrier, gasket and pins, as shown in Figure 3, is secured to the rear of the reflector ill shown in Figure 2 by inserting 10 thepins 48 in the slots 20. This may be readily done by first moving the pins in towardthe center so as to pass through the aperture I4 and slots 20.

. e With the contact carrier thus secured to the rear of the reflector. III the bulb I8 is then inserted, in the position shown in gure 1 with the enlarged ends of the bayonet slots 60 over the rts to assume the andis therefore not illustrated or described in detail.

With the assembly as shown in'Figure 1 it will be noted that the gasket 48, which is preferably of spongerubber, is in tight sealing engagement with the base ii (if the-bulb l8 but since itis O! soft yielding material the bulb may be readily 3o rotated and withdrawn when desired. The gas-- ket also effectively seals the connection between the contact carrier 28 and the back of the reflector as is evident irom .an inspection of Figure 1. it thus effectively prevents the entrance of dust and moisture'to the insideo'i'the reflector n and-so prevents it iroin becoming tarnished or otherwise rendered less efficient as a reflector.

The construction is obviously inexpensive. The invention capable of usewhere the bulb is sup- 4 ported fr0m other parts, than the reflector illustrated. i

We ciaim' '1. The crimbination of a support having an aperture therein and an annular seat surrounding the aperture, a bulb having'a base and a slotted annular flange surrounding the base and secured thereto, said bulb normally being" arranged with its .base extending into said aperture and/its flange engaged, in said seat, said'seat having openings therein aligned'with the slots. inthe flange, a yieldable gasket engaging the other side oi the support and having an aperture therein 'snuglyfltting the base sons to form a dust-proof seal, gasket having --openin:s therethrough carrier overlying the gasket and having openings therein aligned with the openings in the gasket, yielding contact means carried by the carrier and 5 adapted to engage a contact on the bulb base,

headed pins extending through the said slots in the annular flange on the bulb base, and through the aligned openings in the support, gasket and contact carrier and resilient means surrounding 10 each of said pins and housed within the openings in said gasket and reacting against the contact carrier and support to yieldingly hold the bulb in the support.

2. The common of a support having an 15 ,aperture therein and an annular seat surrounding the aperture, a bulb having a base and a slotted annular flange surrounding the base and secured thereto, said bulbnormally being arranged with its base extending into said aperture and its .20 flange engaged in said seat, said seat having openingstherein' aligned with the slots in the flange, a yieldable gasket engaging the other side -2,2193% aligned with the openings in the seat, a contact i of the support and having an aperture therein snugly fitting the base so as to form a dust-proof seal, said gasket having openings therethrough aligned with the openings in the meta contact carrier overlying the gasket and having openings of said pins and housed within the openings in said gasket and reacting against thecontact carrier and support to yieldingly hold the bulb in the support, and washers on said pins engaging the rear face or said seat and the adjacent face of the gasket so as to prevent passage oi dust through said openings.

HOWARD C. NIEAD.

aonna'r N. FALGE. so I 

